00:15

Ai Weiwei

Guardian

€650

Edition of 1601

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Self-satire meets storied symbolism in a sparkling silkscreen print by Ai Weiwei.

In Chinese tradition, a Door God is placed at an entrance or threshold to protect those inside from harm. By casting himself as this totemic figure, Weiwei acknowledges his standing in global consciousness, draws parallels with his life as an artist, and attempts to resolve the two.

Familiar motifs nod to the negative influences that Weiwei, in divine form, might ward off – from censorship and propaganda to corruption and surveillance. Red, meanwhile, promises good fortune for the year ahead.

To create the edition, printers at Make-Ready developed a new technique designed to echo a ceramic tile or cast concrete in silkscreen form. Bespoke gold ink ‘overloaded’ with metallic pigment and glitter is applied to the paper as a solid layer, then veiled by a layer of vibrant red to reveal an intricate illustration in negative space.

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Behind the scenes

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00:51

Ai Weiwei

18 collaborations

Ai Weiwei is unafraid to speak truth to power. He’s one of the most famous living artists today – a testament to the breadth and vision of his practice. Effortlessly, he moves between different media, from sculpture and architecture to performance and documentary film. His work is often monumental in scale and is driven by a hunger for truth and justice. In 2008, for example, Ai spent many months collecting the names of over 5000 children who lost their lives in the Sichuan earthquake. This unflinching dedication to human rights saw him detained by the Chinese government for 81 days in 2011, accused of ‘subverting the state.’

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Reviews from Avant collectors

I’m really happy to add this piece to my collection. It’s always a pleasure working with you — thank you for making everything so smooth. Looking forward to hearing about more great works!
Review of Untitled
everything in the communication has been pretty clear and fluid, the tracking before delivery was detailled and fast, the packaging was enought secured and the final artwork is incredible !
Review of B BOY JUSHI
AA always produces an amazing quality product; packaging and framing are always top notch as well!
Review of Prismatic Head Composition
the Service was perfect and i love my print
Review of Sleepy
very impressed with the quality of packaging and the high level finish of thr framing & artwork! look forward to pucharing more pieces in the future.
Review of Prismatic Head Composition
Incredibly happy and impressed with the quality of what we received. Will definitely consider buying from Avante Arte again.
Review of Descendent - Lucid Dreamer
hard to give an advice to AA, everything its perfect! thanks
Review of It Wasn't Me
Love, love, love this piece of amazing work...from the craftmanship, brilliance of the colors, to the title it is fire! My new fave...among many other favorites! The treatment my framer gave it is delicious and aww inspiring...thanks Avant Arte!
Review of In Search For Light

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